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Foreign funding behind Bangladesh booms
Bangladesh authorities said that the Aug 17 natwionwide terror attacks were planned in mid-April and funded by Kuwait-based organisation Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS) and an imam of a British mosque.
| I guess that's the Islamic heritage they're so intent on reviving... |
About 460 bombs went off in 63 of Bangladesh's 64 districts that morning, killing two and injuring more than 100. A top official of the police's Special Branch (SB) seeking anonymity said important meetings prior to the explosions were held in Naogaon, Joypurhat, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Chittagong, Barisal, Satkhira and Dhaka at different times between mid-April and mid-August. The official also said the decision to launch the bomb attacks was finalised after Moulana Ataur Rahman, imam of a mosque in Britain and also director of the Ahle Hadith Library and Information Centre at Nagheshwari in Kurigram, came to the country on April 17 and left on Aug 20.
Soon after returning home, Ataur had had meetings with Abdur Rahman, chief of banned militant group Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), and Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai, operations commander of Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB). Investigators obtained the information from three suspects -- Noor Mohammad, Hafez Habibullah, and Shamsul Huda. "We are looking into their statements. These are very vital clues," said the official. "We are trying to arrest Abdul Malek, the man who looks after the Ahle Hadith's information centre at Nagheshwari in absence of Ataur. He may give us some significant leads to the investigation," he added.
He said Kuwait's RIHS was one of the key sources of funds necessary to have staged the near-simultaneous explosions across the country. Bangladesh intelligence agencies have recently recommended banning RIHS for financing Islamist militants in the country.
| I'd call that a pretty good idea. A nice diplonote to Kuwait might help, too. Then there are international arrest warrants for the financiers. Or they could just unleash RAB and have them all meet with unfortunate accidents. |
In a report prepared to suggest ways and means to root out militancy, the agencies have advised the government to close down the organisation, claiming that it seems to be more concerned with promoting militancy rather than protecting Islamic heritage, said an intelligence source.
| The two being the same, they probably don't see a conflict... |
The agencies found that the NGO, also known as Jomiatul Ehya-ut Turaj, had been accused of rearing Islamist extremists in Pakistan and Afghanistan as well. It provided funds to Tawhid Trust and Hadith Foundation, both legally and illegally. Both the recipient organisations were founded by militant kingpin Asadullah Al Galib. Intelligence men said Galib, now in jail, and his organisation Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh (Ahab) had been channelling funds to JMB, blamed for the Aug 17 blitz. Following statements from Noor, Habib and Shamsul, police raided Ahle Hadith Library and Information Centre at Nagheswari on Wednesday (Aug 31) and recovered six books titled Islam ebong Attaghati Mussalman (Islam and suicidal Muslims). But caretaker Abdul Malek managed to evade capture. Police also raided the Nageshwari house of Abu Bakar, a Dhaka city unit leader of Islami Oikya Andolon, and recovered banners and leaflets championing Islamic movement and documents of RIHS.
Posted by: Dan Darling 2005-09-03 |
